See Chapter 1 for disclaimers and warnings.

Chapter 4

Warning: Discussions of and spankings of two young adults.

When Abby looked at Jimmy for his input, all she saw was him pale and shake his head. "Maybe Chris is here to talk about horses or something."

At that moment the siblings heard, "Abigail! Workshop! Now! Don't make me come get you."

"Well at least he didn't say woodshed. That's a good sign right?" Abby tried.

"Sorry Abs. We all know that Dad can tear your tail up no matter what room he is in."

"Tony!" The siblings yelled in unison.

"Hey, she asked."

"Jethro, what is all the shouting about?" Jenny had gotten up from her nap about ten minutes before Chris showed up and was in the kitchen with a cup of coffee when she heard Gibbs.

Gibbs gave Jenny a quick summary of the story and what he and Chris had decided to do. Jenny began to protest. She was stopped by Gibbs explaining that the kids need to have a healthy respect for The Seven too.

"Alright, Jethro. I trust your judgment." Jenny smiled and gave Gibbs a quick kiss.

Abby had slowly made her way downstairs and tried to pretend she didn't know what was going on. She hoped it was nothing, so she did not want to willingly give anything away. "Yes Dad?"

Gibbs crooked his finger at her to follow him to the workshop. Abby swallowed hard and followed him.

Once inside the workshop, she was greeted by an irate and ominous looking Chris. He was leaning on the edge of a workbench with his arms crossed. Of course he had that long black trench coat with the gun at his side. Abby shivered at the sight. She was already dreading her fate.

"Care to explain to Chris why you took it upon yourself to keep the fact that Billy was out that night with your decorating crew?" Gibbs said in a tone that was not meant to really be a question.

"Well, we knew he meant well so we just didn't say anything."

"You mean you were protectin' his backside from me?" Chris asked without much change in demeanor.

"Yes, I guess so. You just remind me of Dad so much. I didn't have the heart to tell on him." Abby confessed nervously.

"Abigail, the only one that can protect a backside is the owner of said backside. We do that by behaving." Gibbs reminded her sternly.

When Chris crooked his finger at her, she began to sweat. She looked at Gibbs and he nodded. Abby thought, "Oh boy. What does Chris want?"

When Abby reached Chris, he was still leaning on the bench. In one quick motion he had Abby turned over his knee. He gave her nine quick swats to her jean covered backside. Those swats were enough to bring tears to her eyes. When Chris let Abby up he rested his hands on her shoulders and said, "Abby, you and your family are quickly becomin' a big part of our family. You are sort of like an older cousin to Billy. He needs you to show him right from wrong, not help him put himself in danger and disobey me or his momma. I gave you nine swats because I want you to remember each year in Billy's young life that we could have lost that night."

At that point Abby began to sob. The spanking hurt, but she had had much worse from Gibbs. She was crying because of Billy and the fact that he could have gotten hurt or killed. "I'm sorry Chris. It won't happen again."

"As long as it never happens again, we're good." Chris said.

"It won't. Abby said and then had a thought. Gibbs smiled because he could see it in her eyes. "Hey, if I am Billy's older cousin, then that makes you my uncle! Can I call you Uncle Chris now? "Abby asked and then didn't even wait for an answer. She lunged at her knew uncle and hugged him.

Taken aback by the fact that he had just spanked her and now she was hugging him so freely, Chris soon looked at Gibbs and Gibbs said, "Abs, he needs to breath now."

"Oh! Sorry." Abby said with a shy smile.

"Sure Abby. Call me uncle. I'd be honored." His attitude then turned stern again and he said, "Just know this uncle will have your respect and won't hesitate to take you in hand. Do you think you can handle that?" Chris asked.

"Yes Sir." Abby said with a small shudder.

"All you have to do is behave. Right?" Gibbs asked with a raised eyebrow.

When Abby nodded, Gibbs told her she could go back to the house and let her mom and her siblings know that she was still alive. Abby said her goodbyes and was surprised by one almighty swat from Gibbs as she was going out the door.

Abby turned and looked to Gibbs for an explanation.

"Since Chris gave you nine for Billy's age, I thought I'd give you the one to grow on." Gibbs said while he crossed his arms waiting for her to protest.

She smiled, rubbed her backside and said, "I love you too Dad." Abby then made her way to the house.

After she left, Chris chuckled at Abby's response and asked, "She is one of a kind, isn't she?"

"Yup and we love her for it. You know you just opened a new can of worms."

Chris looked at Gibbs with confusion.

"What I mean is you just started something. You'll have all the kids calling you and the rest of The Seven uncle now. Abby will insist on it." Gibbs chuckled when Chris smiled and shook his head.

"Honestly, I am honored. I never thought I'd ever have a family any bigger than the rest of the men. It feels like we've always known you anyway. If the townspeople get wind of it, they won't think anything of it. We often accept people as family even when they aren't. Billy will want the same. Do you think you can handle that?"

"As you said, we'd be honored." Gibbs said. "I never thought I'd have an extended family like this either."

"Of course, as you trusted me to discipline Abby, you'll have those same rights with Billy and JD. That is just how it works here in a big family that you want to protect. Everyone watches out for each other."

"Sounds good to me. None of the kids will like it, but all they have to do is behave." Gibbs said knowingly.

Chris smiled and said, "Talking about the kids, I've got to take care of a certain young JD next. I'll be seeing you later." Chris mounted his horse and headed for town.

It was JD's shift at the jail. He was leaning back in a chair with his feet up on the desk. It was a lazy day so he decided to relax. After all, one never knew when things were going to get exciting around the office.

His stress free life was interrupted when he watched Chris storm though the door.

"Chris, what's wrong?"

"You want to tell me what happened the night you helped decorate the cabins?" Chris asked in a tone that showed he wanted an answer now.

"Billy told you, huh?"

"Yup. Why didn't you come to me with it?"

"I didn't want him to get in trouble. He meant well, Chris."

"Did you ever stop to think that he could have gotten hurt and that we didn't even know he was out of bed? What about the fact that he looks up to you? Are you settin' a good example for him? You were protectin' his backside from me?"

"I know I was wrong Chris. I left out some information. I should have told you. I'm sorry."

"I am goin' to tell you like I told Abby; you are a big part of our family. You are sort of like a big brother to Billy. He needs you to show him right from wrong, not help him put himself in danger and disobey me or his momma. Do you understand? Billy could have been hurt or killed out there."

"Yes Chris." JD was felling guiltier and guiltier as the conversation progressed.

"I've told you more than once never to lie to me. We discussed what leaving information out meant. It is the same as lying. Why don't I want you to lie, JD?"

"It's because you can't trust me if I'm not truthful. I'm sorry. I know now I should never protect Billy from our family." JD said with remorse.

"That includes Gibbs' family. He and his family are becoming part of our family and he has promised to watch out for you too. He has all rights to you too. Oh and you can call him Uncle Gibbs now. You have also been adopted by Uncle Ducky and Aunt Jenny."

Chris smirked when JD's eyes widened at the thought of having more people, especially Gibbs, out to get his backside. He knew it was for his own good, but he didn't have to like it.

"Well, you know what to do." Chris commanded sternly.

JD then proceeded to bend over the desk and wait.

Chris wasted no time in peppering JD's backside with a ruler from his desk. After he felt JD had had about enough, Chris gave him nine hard smacks with the ruler and counted each one out. He then pulled a sobbing JD into a quick hug and explained as he did to Abby what the nine smacks were for. When JD thought of the little nine year old Billy and the fact that he could have been seriously hurt, he sobbed some more. When he calmed down enough to speak again, JD said, "I promise you Chris, I'll never lie to you again. I'll teach Billy good things, but I won't protect him from you."

Chris smiled at the promise to never lie again. He didn't say anything, but wondered how long that promise would last. "Well, it is time I have that 'talk' with Billy. Man the fort for me. I'll be back later."

Before Chris left, JD asked, "Uh, Chris? When will I be too old for a tannin'?"

"Well accordin' to Miz Nettie, we are never too old as long as we act like kids. She has already threatened Uncle Gibbs and me with her wooden spoon."

Chris smirked as he watched the shock on JD's face appear. "Just think on that one for a while." Chris said as he walked out and made his way to the Clarion with a heavy heart.

Meanwhile, Gibbs was explaining what happened with Chris and Abby to Jenny, Ducky and Nettie. "Of course Abby surprised Chris by hugging him afterward." Gibbs said with a chuckle.

"That's our Abigail." Ducky replied with confidence.

"I should have trusted you to know what you were doing, Jethro." Jenny said with a little guilt.

"No Jen, I'm proud to see that you are willing to protect the kids no matter what." Gibbs said as he kissed her forehead.

"That's just how it works out here." Nettie said. "We are all one big family and we look out for each other. If that means that one of us has to warm the seat of a misbehavin' child, we do it. It is dangerous out here."

"I agree with you Miz Nettie. Well, I'm going to go check on the kids." Gibbs said wondering how Abby was explaining what happened.

When Gibbs approached the door in his usual stealth manner, he heard Abby going over the story. He was surprised at what he heard.

"You mean to tell me that Dad let Chris hit you! I cannot believe he would do that. Just wait until I see that 'cowboy' again!" Tony said in anger knowing Chris hated to be called cowboy.

Abby was so busy enjoying the sympathy that she did not realize the trouble she was causing. "Yeah, and he spanks as hard as Dad." Abby said with a pout.

"I just can't believe it!" Tony said again.

"Tony, I'm sure Dad had good reason for what he allowed and Abs doesn't seem as though she is going to fall apart." Tim said knowingly. He could see that Abby was playing up the situation.

"Yes, Tony, I'm sure Dad would not have allowed Chris to truly hurt Abby. True, loving spankings hurt, but they don't seriously injure you." Like, Tim, Ziva also saw right through Abby's little game. She was playing the part of the baby of the family again.

Tony was too angry to see this.

"Tim and Ziva, I'm proud of you." Everyone turned toward the voice from the doorway. Gibbs walked in and clapped Tim on the back. He then kissed Ziva on the cheek. He gave Tony and Abby a glare that clearly said, "Just wait until I send Ziva and Tim out of here." He then explained what Abby should have.

Chris sighed as he walked up to the Clarion. He walked in and began going up the stairs.

Billy had been waiting in his room all this time. To him, it had been days. In actuality, it had been about two hours. He tensed when he heard the 'boot' steps coming up the stairs. He gulped when those boots stopped at his door. He knew Chris wouldn't truly hurt him past a sore backside, but that did not make him any less nervous.

Chris had stopped at the door to take a deep breath before he went in.

Mary had seen him hesitate. When Chris turned to look at her, Mary gave him a reassuring smile. She was proud of the hardened man and the fact that a simple spanking had unnerved him. He reaffirmed what she had always known. Chris is a good and loving man.

Chris smiled back, knocked once on Billy's bedroom door and put his hand on the doorknob.

Billy jumped at the knock and swallowed hard when he saw the doorknob turn.

In the meantime, after explanations were made, Gibbs dismissed Tim and Ziva. He turned, crossed his arms and raised his eyebrow at Tony and Abby. "Explain."

TBC...